The phenomenon of Popeye the Sailor

August 24, 2018

When you are thinking about superheroes, in your mind immediately appears the image of a brave guy with a pile of muscles and mask. However, the real phenomenon among all these “rescuers of the world” was the sailor Popeye. Despite the non-standard appearance for the hero, he had a superpower due to simple spinach. This character was so popular in the 20th century.

In the 1929 one of the most unusual superheroes in the history of the US − the sailor Popeya appeared in comics of Thimble Theater.

The author was the cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar. Initially, this character was secondary in the storyline, but the readers liked him so much. That’s why the author decided to create a new story and devoted it to sailor Popeya.

It was believed that the prototype of Popeya became Segar’s friend a real sailor − a stoker at HMS Rodney Frank Figl. A typical appearance, an unchanged tube in his mouth, squinting at one eye − all this made Popa a real sensation. His first words were the answer to the question “Are you a sailor?” − “Ja think I’m a cowboy?” Although it must be said that according to the plot, Papay was not exactly a sailor, but a worker at a boat station.

The sailor didn’t look like a standard character, and despite the odd appearance, he felt a lot of real, human. Popey was an independent sailor with a specific voice, powerful forearms and had two (and sometimes with one) tattooed anchors on them, and he always had an eternal corn tube. He was slightly on his mind, liked to brag and exaggerate. However, he always read to come to the rescue. His peculiar sense of humor and extraordinary adventures made him one of the most recognizable cartoons of heroes.

The plot consisted of daily struggle Popeya with Bluto for the favor of the beautiful Oliva Oil. In the middle of the series Popeya eat a can of canned spinach − so to speak, the source of his “superpower” and after this he began to directly squeeze the blot out of Bloto’s eyes.

The village of Popeye (Popeye Village) situates on the island of Malta. It was specially built for musical. The musical comedy “Popeye” was created by the film company Walt Disney and Paramount Pictures. Today this village is a real open-air museum.

The last film “Popeye’s Voyage: The Quest for Pappy” was created using computer animation. It was released on screens in 2004 in honor of the 75th anniversary of the character. This once again proves that Popeye − was and will be’ a cult character, a favorite of the public, especially among the older generation. Next year, the character will turn 90! Who knows, maybe Hollywood will release another movie to the anniversary of the character.